Prime
Lukwago asks bank probe to summon Muhoozi, Gen Saleh
L-R: Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and Gen Salim Saleh
What you need to know:
- Greenland Bank was closed in 1999 by BoU on allegations that it was financing ADF rebels.
- The plea by Mr Lukwago comes at a time the Cosase probe committee led by Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu is winding up its investigations into the controversial closure of seven commercial banks including Greenland Bank by Bank of Uganda.
- Cosase has been interviewing former owners of the closed banks in a bid to get their side of the story.
Kampala. Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has appealed to the parliamentary committee investigating the closure of seven commercial banks not to wind up their inquiry without hearing from the First Son, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and his uncle Gen Salim Saleh.
Mr Lukwago, addressing the media yesterday, said he was the lawyer of founder and managing director of the closed Greenland Bank, the late Dr Sulaiman Kiggundu.
He named big people in government and the business community whom he said have “useful information” on the closure of the bank in 1999.
Audit report
He said the Deloitte and Touch report of the audit into the bank’s financial statement made stunning findings and revelations of how part of that money was disbursed to different individuals and entities under dubious circumstances.
“The synopsis of the findings in the aforementioned report clearly indicate that Greenland Bank could have been resuscitated if Bank of Uganda had endeavoured to recover and refund to Greenland Bank $10.45m (Shs38 billion) which had been paid to government as part of the Shs17b loan secured by Westmont for purchase of the defunct Uganda Commercial Bank. To date, the whereabouts of this money remains a mystery,” Mr Lukwago said.
He went ahead and named such individuals as businessman Charles Mbire, Vijayan PK Amandan, Caleb International owned by Gen Saleh, Jovia Akandwanaho and former management of the closed Crane Bank.
“I therefore humbly invite and beseech you, Mr chairman and Hon members of Cosase (Committee on Commissions Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises) to be pleased to entertain this piece of evidence and proceed to interrogate all the pertinent issues and matters raised herein in the best interest of justice to not only Dr Kiggundu but the entire country,” Mr Lukwago said.
He continued: “This will inevitably warrant summoning all the individuals mentioned in the said documents to which; Gen. YK Museveni, Gen.Saleh, Lt Gen Muhoozi, Mr Mbire, Hon Mathew Rukikaire and directors of Westmont Land (Asia).”
When Daily Monitor contacted Mr Mbire yesterday his known telephone number was unavailable while Gen Saleh did not answer our calls.
Greenland Bank was closed in 1999 by BoU on allegations that it was financing ADF rebels and that the rebels were working with Sudan and Sudanese interests against Uganda.
The bank was also accused of having borrowed about Shs50b from Uganda Commercial Bank without security. Dr Kiggundu was then charged before Buganda Road Court for allegedly running down Greenland Bank.
